Jim Reeves

JIM REEVES. (August 20th 1923–July 31st 1964). American country singer-songwriter popular in the 1950s-1960s who gained a wide international following for his pioneering smooth Nashville Sound. He achieved a string of US No1 hits between 1953-1967 including ; Mexican Joe / Bimbo / Four Walls / Billy Bayou / Hell Have A Go / I Guess I'm Crazy / This Is It / Is It Really Over / Distant Drums / Blue Side Of Lonesome and I Won't Come In. Nicknamed "Gentleman Jim", his songs continued to chart for years following his death in a plane crash aged just 40. On July 31st 1964, Reeves left Arkansas en route to Nashville in a single-engine aircraft, himself at the controls. While flying over Tennessee, he encountered a violent thunderstorm. A subsequent investigation showed that the small plane had become caught up in the storm ; it was later believed Reeves had been flying the plane upside down trying to increase altitude to clear the storm. The plane faded from radar screens at around 5:00 p.m. CDT and radio contact was lost. When the wreckage was found some 42 hours later, it was discovered the plane's engine and nose were buried in the ground due to the impact of the crash. The crash site was in a wooded area north-northeast of Brentwood. On the morning of August 2nd 1964, the bodies of Jim Reeves and manager Manuel were found in the wreckage. Thousands turned out to pay their last respects at his funeral on August 4th. The coffin, draped in flowers from fans, was driven through the streets of Nashville and then to his final resting place near Carthage Texas.